You’ve seen the signs popping up around town. The message is hard to miss: “NO HUNTING,” the black letters say against a backdrop of hunter orange.

Avon Lake resident Tim Slater has city leaders and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources in his crosshairs and is sending out a message that hunting in Avon Lake is not wanted or needed.

He, along with a half a dozen other Avon Lake residents have formed a group that is posting the orange and black signs throughout the city and spreading their message through a new website, www.avonlakedeer.com.

When asked why the group formed, Slater said, “We started it to stop–stop this hunting proposal.”

Slater does not believe the city has a deer overpopulation problem and questions the method used by the city with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ (ODNR) backing to count them. Slater believes that method, the “deer spotlight” program, does not provide an accurate count.